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World Class Prick by the Easthills: Review

By Aaron Tyler on May 16, 2014

Album: World Class Prick

Artist: The Easthills

Label: Campbell Barada Music

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Run Length: 4 tracks – 12:55

Reviewed by Jack Smith

You may or may not have realized it by this point, but us here at On Stage are huge fans of Indiana based heavy rock quartet The Easthills. We already gave them a favorable review for their first album, and we followed that up with an insightful interview with two of their members. It’s easy to imagine, then, that we were pretty pumped to hear what new ideas these guys put together for their newest EP, World Class Prick. Suffice it to say, we were not disappointed. The EP represents a phenomenal follow up to their debut album, Death of a Salesman. We’ve got a more in depth review of the four-track EP below, but first, why don’t you go ahead and check out our initial announcement of their album via this link: http://www.onstagemagazine.com/the-easthills-death-of-a-salesman/

If you actually followed that link, we’re glad to have you back, and if not, well, we appreciate the rebel spirit. Regardless, let’s dive into the music. The EP starts off with “Jealous of Birds”, which fans of the band will likely recognize, as the track has been a part of their live show repertoire for some time. Immediately, “Jealous of Birds” highlights the boost in production value the Easthills have experienced since their first album. The guitars sound just a touch bigger, and even through crappy laptop speakers, the snare hits are very punchy. While both albums were produced by Doug Henthorn, it’s obvious that in the new EP Henthorn and the Easthills had a better defined idea of the overarching sound of the album. Because of this, all four songs maintain a similar core, and really work together as a whole rather than simply a collection of tracks.

While “Jealous of Birds” kicks off the EP at a high energy level, the second track, “Notice” slows things down a bit. Of course, like any Easthills tune, it still features their traditional soaring vocals and wall-of-sound rhythmic guitar approach, but the song packs those ideas into a slower, almost ballad-esque format. Plus, there’s a few pretty sweet lead licks throughout the track, which we found much to our liking. However, by far the standout moments in “Notice” are the instrumental sections, which overlay mumbled vocal samples and some pretty tasty organ lines on top of a bed of distortion. The track is clearly a well-written song, and highlights the Easthills’ uncanny ability to write a hit.

Following “Notice” is a new track, “Suicidal Sundays”. As one might imagine from the name, “Suicidal Sundays” contains rather interesting lyrical content, detailing the band’s feelings about each of the days of the week. The track is rather short, but seeing as it progresses through each day of the week over the course of 1:58, there’s really no need for it to be longer. Interestingly enough, the track begins and ends in just about the same way, which really highlights both the cyclical rhythms of nature and the way in which the narrator’s emotions oscillate between happy and depressed over the course of time. While this track might not be the most pop-friendly of the Easthills’, there’s a lot of depth behind it, and it is certainly deserving of a listen or two.

World Class Prick ends with “Big Fresh Young Dead”. We predict that this will likely be the takeaway single from this album, as the track simply rocks. The song is propelled along by a simple yet effective guitar riff and accompanying drum fills, and more or less follows the format of a traditional song. Because of this, however, “Big Fresh Young Dead” is immediately accessible, and therefore can appeal to a broad audience. It’s the perfect way for the EP to go out with a bang and will definitely leave fans wanting more. If you find yourself in that boat, don’t forget that the Easthills have several tour dates planned for the rest of the summer, including the following dates:

5/30 – Indianapolis (with Tesla)

6/27 – Normal, IL (with REO Speedwagon)

7/13 – Cincinnati, OH

8/2 – Kokoma, IN

8/8 – Fort Wayne, IN

8/16 – Rushville, IN

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